state universities to be centers of access and excellence so that every american has a path to success. in the 1950s and '60s, america spent 5% of its gdp on investments for the future. today, that number is 3%. and it's likely to fall in the years ahead as entitlement spending crowds out everything else. we now spend $4 for every american over 65 compared with $1 for every american under 18. we are demonstrating vividly our preference for consumption over investment, for the present over the future and for our own interests over those of our children. if president obama can change this trend, he will probably not get much applause today, but he will restore the american economy, secure america's place in the world and his own place in history. thank you for watching "memo to

the president." if you have an idea for the president, join us in the conversation online on obamamemo on twitter or cnn.com/fareed. you can see our regular show on sundays at 10:00 a.m. and 1:00 p.m. eastern. thank you for watching. this is "piers morgan tonight" and the doctor is in. extraordinary hour with dr. oz. >> when i look around this country and i see people with big bellies i see folks who can't cope with stress. >> taking your questions and taking on the health issues that really matter. >> the number one underappreciated health problem in america is sleep issues. >> the crisis facing america. >> french fries by themselves the single worse food in the u.s. diet. >> dangerous new flu bug. >> might be the worst in ten years. >> also, stress, sleep, sex and secrets for long and healthy

life. no exercise. i've drunk far too much alcohol, eaten far too much bad food and i feel great. plus moment of truth. the results of my own 15-minute dr. oz physical. >> not yet. >> am i about to die? >> her's the reason as a friend that i want to highlight this last number for you. high blood pressure? >> it's high. >> how high? >> this is "piers morgan tonight." welcome to our special episode. dr. mehmet oz is here and studio audience. let's get right to it. how are you? >> very, very well. >> happy new year to. >> same to you, my friend. >> like everybody in america and this audience and the world, we get to january and we think, wow. i've got to sort myself out. i do anyway. you clearly don't. you're super fit. when's the best an advice for

people who get to january, new year, new me, new start? >> well, resolutions actually do make a difference. it turns out this ritual of the time of rome is still around because when you focus on what to do and you have a concrete plan and you go public on it, tell people in your life you're doing it, they'll hold you accountable. what are the stories you're telling yourself and the problem in america but all over the world same story is our brains are racing. we are beating ourselves up we did gain a few pounds over the holidays, unhappy. trying to feed that emotion and that causes a lot of headaches, obesity top of mind on this example. >> seven out of ten americans according to u.s. government are overweight. >> yeah. >> that's pretty frightening. >> it's frightening for a lot of reasons. as a ravages. i see what's going on with that precious organ in our heart. like a python curling in there and clogged with cholesterol and forced to work hard against high blood pressure and caused by the overweight belly that is so many of us are carrying around it causes big issues and has a huge

medical impact on us and ravages the health care system. >> what are the particular issues that face americans and their health? what are the things about the american diet, the way of life, whatever it may be, that are particular perhaps to america? >> we have made it easy to do the wrong thing in america. we subsidize foods that are not good for us. i don't mind a bun here and there but it incorporates empty calor calories. our brain's really smart and looking for nutrients, not calories. if you eat a soft drink, french fries, single worst food in the u.s. diet, probably gaining three pounds a year just that alone. >> french fries. >> real good old-fashioned potatoes, that's fine. but when you add sugar or salt to these things and fry them down, our bodies can't deal with that. wait a minute, tiger. you didn't give me nutrients. >> coming to america seven years

ago, i was struck coming from europe two things. one, the incredible amount of fast food that you americans guzzle. and secondly, the amazing portions that come with almost every meal. you cannot order breakfast in america without somebody in a restaurant shoveling on potatoes or fries without asking for it. you shovel out the food. >> a reality and beginning to -- >> i mean that in a nice way by the way. >> polite. we have gotten comfortable making the portions part of what we do. you move the plate size to one large which is what we have done and now we have 11-inch plates. that's a lot more food than a 9-inch plate or 7-inch plate and visually making food look like it's supposed to be that size. >> if everybody just exercised better portion control, literally cut the amount they ate by, say, a third, what effect would that have on the average life? >> change our life expectancy and the quality of the life and

also dra malt cli change the u.s. health care budget which is the big issue for a lot of folks paying attention to the current crisis in washington. there is no way, i don't care what side of the aisle you're on, no way to balance health care budgets in this country without making us less heavy. the side effects of the extra weight. this is a national security crisis we're talking about and it's not a battle to win in hospitals. as much as i wish i could heal with steel, the blade and your sternum connecting, the reality is winning the bat 8 for health in the living rooms and bedrooms and kitchens. that's hard for washington to legislate. that's something we have to change in our own lives making it easier to do the right thing. >> you've been hanging out with the washington all-stars. take a look at you and the first lady here. >> one of the things that we tried to do is be a source of information and education and one of the reasons why i started with kids and i'm focused on

childhood obesity but i know that people will do for their kids what they're not willing or able to do for themselves. >> is it good for america to have a first lady and president who are obviously very physically fit themselves? >> huge benefit for the country. i think they serve as a role model. that was a soulful interview. the first lady spoke very honestly about the fact that she feels and i think we can all agree on this, we are mortgaging the future of our nation on the back of the health care challenge that is our kids are going to face and for the first time this year seeing a significant reduction in life expectancy, especially among people that never graduated from high school. not only income splits divide the nation, now life expectancy splits, as well. >> how much is worsened by a lack of basic moiblt, moving to a world, really, of computer games, television and all the rest of it, you know, i was struck by my vacation last week with my three teenage sons how it compared to ten years ago when they were younger. they were outside the whole

time. this time, you could barely get them off the computers. very different. not as healthy. >> it's nice outside, the kids ought to be outside. and that's -- >> you try to get them out. >> it is hard. you have to connect the television set and full key boards. that stated, that stated physical activity for kids is a hugely important reality but that's not how you lose weight by itself. yes, we are struggling communities now because we don't have sidewalks. we have made it hard for kids to get fifth. how many of you walked to school when you were kids? pretty much all the adults except the kids in the back. data is 60% of my generation, roughly the same age, walked to school. today, it's less than 10%. >> if you walked as an adult for half an hour a day, you know, i walk here across central park, say, to cnn, i feel like it's a pretty good exercise walking at a reasonable pace. is that enough to be fit? >> perfect amount. the goal -- >> i'm basically a perfect specimen then? >> i have your lab studies here.

>>dy this. >> don't look at them yet. we'll get to these. >> it's enough. after a two-week break, not going to be good. british beer. also turkey. and lots of rum. wine. it's going to be ghastly. we'll come to that later. >> we'll tease that reality. i have seen the tests and talking about them because you're mr. america in many ways. despite your british okay krentd. you know, physical activity, looking around the world, places where people live a long time, it is not about going to the gym every day and an arduous two-hour workout once in a while but about 30 minutes of activity that brings your heart rate up a little bit. so walking to work is about the best and smartest thing to do. also, you don't have to do a workout at the end of the day. you have your activity. people who have jobs, walk the steps there or get up and go to somewhere else to have lunch. people at home with the kids, go to the mall, walk fourther from the mall. >> a lot of this is obviously

about having personal discipline. i want to play of an interview of chris christie and may well be a future president of the united states and well documented problem with his weight. >> the thing that i feel most guilty about, my weight. >> really? >> yeah. yeah. because i'm really struggling. been struggling for a long time with it. and i know that it would be better for my kids if i got it more under control. and so i feel a sense of guilt at times about that. >> why do you think you've had a battle with your weight? >> if i could figure it ourt, i'd fix it. >> you don't know what it is? >> i don't. >> do you ever get help for it? >> sure. plenty of times. >> where do you fall down in terms of dealing with it? >> i eat too much. i mean, it's not a complicated thing. >> i mean, i love chris christie and the honesty there and he's got an amazing energy for a guy, you know, who people say is too overweight to be president.

it's worked through the storms recently, showed that he's a man of natural energy. >> it lives with his family, his wife is wonderful and worked with him on this. the reality is there are opportunities to lead and they come in unique ways. by being overweight, the governor has a chance of losing that weight and i think a fantastic role model for the nation. governor huckabee did this a few years ago and changed people and here's a man who's obviously competent. darn good at it. he's got a lot of wisdom, spokes glowingly and beautifully about thing that is affect us with the emotional undertones but asking him that key question and you are so good at asking the questions, why do you think it? he doesn't know. that i think in a sentence encapsulates the challenge in america. we don't know why we're gaining weight. to lay it out for two second here. there's a dozen redundant biological systems that force us to overeat. never, piers, in the history as

species a time to lose weight. now we have a crisis because the same realities that causes us to overeat a century ago, a thousand years ago much more prevalent now and that's stress. think about it. a stress event a thousand years ago wasn't a deadline, a paycheck. it might have been marital stress but probably that anyone. not having enough food and caused chronic stress. today it comes in the form of keyboards, devices that never turn out. constant access to information. when i look around this country and see people with big bellies, i see folks that can't cope with stress. that's an undertone of loss of health in america. >> the other big problem is a flu epidemic. tends to be an annual thing but pretty virulent right now. what is the best thing people should do? should they have the jab? >> i think without question. it's not too late. this season looks like the worst in ten years, still see. it's certainly one of the

earliest rises of cases that we have seen in a long time. the flu shot seems to be pretty good match for the virus we are seeing around town. i must say my own family, we had a lot of flu going around. i got the shot. i'm obliged to. i did okay. some folks get shot and still get the flu. it's a straightforward decision. >> i have never had a flu jab but i'll let you give me one on television tonight. >> where can i give it to you? >> i'd rather in the arm, doctor, if that's all right with you. i think i know where you're heading with that. that's something to enjoy me being jabbed by dr. oz. i want to talk to you something serious, an emotional visit to you made to the sandy hook school and a trauma like that on adults and children, everyone. relates to the stress you just talked about. i have a cold, and i took nyquil,

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meet the 5-passenger ford c-max hybrid. when you're carrying a lot of weight, c-max has a nice little trait, you see, c-max helps you load your freight, with its foot-activated lift gate. but that's not all you'll see, cause c-max also beats prius v, with better mpg. say hi to the all-new 47 combined mpg c-max hybrid. back with dr. oz, our guest. dr. oz, you recently went up to sandy hook just before

christmas. very emotional trip i know for you. you raise a number of issues and i've debated the stuff about guns and so on since. also there's a huge issue there about stress and trauma that comes out of these kind of incidents. the world's media tends to move on after a week or so. people left there have to try to rebuild their lives. you've seen lots of this. what's the best advice if there is any for people who get caught up in the terrible tragedies about how to somehow get back? >> we all i think crave is hope. it comes in many different forms. we all have difficult times in our lives. this is a particularly tragic event. i was up there that evening and it was so soulful to see the wonderful human beings traumatized. they knew the kids sitting in a church singing. like angels. you could hear the whispers and the desire to help each other. they're there for each other and looking for hope. hope's not about giving good news. i'm a heart surgeon. i don't always give good news.

sometimes it's bad news i have to give you. that's not what hope's about, though. hope is about giving people an explanation, understanding of why it happened. just making sense of things progresses the story quite a bit so i think the folks in newtown all over the nation and the world witness this trying to make sense of this. we'll never understand the senseless act but at least the aspiration we have to support each other rebuilds an understanding of what's important in our lives and that's something that i think many of us struggle with as we try to put perspective. we just past the holidays. for some people, the holidays is a sad time. for others exuberant. it is about happiness and happiness about being grateful an unpredictable, bad things sometimes happen. taking time to figure out how to process that and moving on happens and what we are good at is a species. >> in terms of everybody else who watches these things and gets affected, too, lots of things in life have a traumatic affect on people, either observing a terrible event or

involved in one, whatever. how do you deal with that particular kind of stress? really like a death in the family, a death of a close friend, even for some people a death of a beloved pet? >> i can't tell you how many times we've lost one couple long-married couple and soon after lose the spouse, literally we have had to operate on the husband and the wife same night. >> literally like a broken heart? does it exist in medical terms, a broken heart? >> there is no question at all that broken hearts exist and they kill people. it's actually been looked at. the ability of the heart to pump changes, the ability to squeeze at the right rhythm. stress is -- especially major stress but stress comes from so many unpredictable places. you lose a loved one and divorce, too. out of the ten major stressors, six are financial. and they include things like divorce so you have -- it's not whether you face stress in life but whether you're going to be able to weather it the right way and that's a big takeaway message when every event like

the senseless killing of so many children in newtown is reiterated in the mind and part of the psyche. >> when you try to deal with stress, how important is physical exercise to that process? because whenever i've been through a tough time, i've always found that forcing myself to the gym, sweating it out, you always just feel a little bit better afterwards. >> there's no question the anecdote to stress. probably what the species always used because we could go outside, begin to rev the engine, discharges a lot of hormones sort of pent up and either they serve as rage but they can decant and done with if you exercise. doesn't take a lot. literally stretching out even for five, ten minutes do it for you, but the other tip to share for stress is something that's used in many parts of the world, difficult environmental issues, and that's something called rotiola. have you ever heard of that? it's siberia gingseng you take the root of the plant and available on the web readily and take the root an put it in vodka. >> now we're talking.

>> that's the old myth. put the vodka -- >> this is my kind of medicine. this is why i like you, dr. oz. always a moment i think, great. >> you put that in the freezer and when your friends come over, you have a gently pinkened vodka which is to die for and actually it is an adaptogen. it helps cells adjust to stress. >> love this. >> very natural tool and emotional ones, as well. >> good before a live show? >> fantastic. i just had some. >> are you basically telling me you've half cut on vodka your entire career? i wish i could. i wish it was available. there's a survival benefit of a shot of alcohol a day. it can come in any form you want. >> last time i interviewed you told me really the secret to longevity is more sex and more red wine. >> in that order. good news. >> i was thrilled. can we have add a few cannabis joints for the equation now they're legal? >> cannabis, fascinating story. there's no question there's medicinal benefit. for people who have some ailments that we don't have good

solutions, fabulously useful. >> i know somebody with multiple sclerosis and it's an enormous release. pain relief. >> good for chemotherapy treatments. appetite back and chemically why they work, the munchies happen because it turns on the hormones, those chemical receptors in the brain. all that said, the overtone of a nation which is trained for good reason to be suspect of addictive substances has hurt it and hindered it from being used. >> how addictive is it? >> as cigarettes in my opinion. >> is it more dangerous than cigarettes? >> it has more dangers in part because when you're under the influence of cannabis, the judgment is a bit more affected than it would be under cigarettes. but net-net hard to prove it's more dangerous than cigarettes. with regard to things like lung cancer rates and the like and it's unregulated substances. >> if you as one of america's topmost renowned doctors says it's not more dangerous than cigarettes, surely it should be legalized like cigarettes. >> tlar couple of problems with

cannabis. the first is alters how you feel about life and i'm very suspect of any substance that does that because you should haven't to alter how you feel about life to enjoy it. it's a gateway tool for some who are susceptible to addictions to move on to other products. secondly, it's completely unregulated in most states. kids get these things, they try them. they don't know the impact or the substance is and causes an issue and i really do believe to legalize it but only for medicinal use and then ratchet down the illegal use of it. california freed up cannabis use does disservice to new jersey where i happen to live because new jersey it's legal to use cannabis for medicinal uses but illegal to buy it. how can you have that scenario? that's a juggling act in america right now. i do predict to evolve to the profession with medical decisions like the use of cannabis appropriately for people with terminal cancer, for example, is freed up and don't let little kids should not be tested with the material

hindered just like we don't want them to take cigarettes. >> i interviewed willie nelson. he had a joint that morning before he came out to do the interview and never met a happier guy in my life. i want whatever's willie's on. we'll take a break. the big moment. i took this 15-minute health test with your team before the show started. i'm going to get the results after the break. i'm not confident about this. >> diabolical material this. >> really not good. my doctor told me calcium is efficiently absorbed in small continuous amounts. citracal slow release continuously releases calcium plus d with efficient absorption in one daily dose. citracal slow release. when i'm out with my kids, my daughter's like, "mom, wait up!"

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i did not call 911 and i should have and i've come to find out that 50% of women while having heart attacks and suspecting they're having heart attacks do not call 911 and it was the stupidest decision i ever made in my life. >> rosie o'donnell talking about the heart attack and the mistake that could have proved fatal. i'm back with the doctor now. i took this test before this show. i don't know why i allowed myself to do this. you had your team all over me like a bunch of gnats poking and prodding and pricking my fingers for blood. taking blood pressures. what are the results? how bad a shape am i after -- i have to say this again, two-week vacation including a week in britain. you know how much we drink over there.

>> as a preamble before i give you your results, let me comfort you by sharing with everybody that we have been going around the country doing these 15-minute physicals which despite the complaining is all the time it took to do and 15-minute physical concept out of a reality that so many folks fearful of the numbers and good news is all the numbers true for thousands of people we have taken care of across the country can change for the better. i'm not diagnosing cancer, ir irreparable issues. if everyone is listening to me and hear my voice right now, if you don't know your blood pressure, assume it's high. if you don't know the blood sugar, assume you have diabetes. these are noble numbers. think ire inexpensive. these are free in the events and simple enough to carry. >> get on with it. >> okay. >> i want to hear it. >> number one ager of all i will save for last is blood pressure. body mass index, 28. supposed to be around 25, less than 30 at the worst. so i'll give you that. the waist size -- >> how bad is that, the mass index?

>> it's overweight category but i'm not that worried about that but the waist size. because you want your waist size and everyone can do it right now, less than one half your height. you're 6'1"? >> yeah. >> 6'1" and -- >> what should my waist be? >> half of 73 inches which is 36 1/2 inches. >> it's not that. >> no, it's not. it's 39 inches. >> wow! >> 39 inches. >> a shocker. >> piers knows this. most guys never buy a new belt after the age of 40. >> correct. >> right? they go like this. they put the waist down like this and they wonder around like this all day long, right? i have a 32-inch waist but you have problems going. that's the unfortunate reality where we live in this country. what's that cause? when you have belly fat, it does three things. the first thing it does is irritates the liver and when your liver is irritated it makes the wrong kind of cholesterol. irritated kind of cholesterol of

lousy ldl cholesterol. your number is 145. >> how bad is that? >> ideally less than 140. you're not too far off. your liver is partly able to keep up. but the part about -- >> i'm punishing it to be fair. >> you are but the reason i can tell you are punishing is this is the part that concerns me is your healthy cholesterol, it's like mighty mouse. healthy cholesterol is in there and powerful and strong and grabs the cholesterol and carries it away and that healthy cholesterol number supposed to be more than 45 to 50. >> what is mine? >> 37. >> wow. that's not good. >> not good. >> how do i get more healthy cholesterol? >> the best way to do it is to get the waist size down to 36 1/2 inches. >> what's the best way to do that? >> tlar couple of little tips. can i save that for a second? that's a significant discussion. that's the big takeaway from this exam. next thing is blood sugar. it's fine. less than 100. yours is 86. high five. >> round of applause. come on. >> despite all that. >> got to take it. a glimmer of hope. >> sweating. he's -- just barely gripping to

the crevice of life about to fall in to the abyss, the darkness. here's the reason as a friend that i want to highlight the last number for you, blood pressure. >> it is high? >> it is high. >> how high? >> it's supposedly to be ideally 115 over 75. yours is 147 over 89. >> wow! that is high. >> yeah. that's high. >> is that because i'm under the threat of being deported from america do you think? >> could be. could be that. it could be the knowledge of the test results on air but your blood pressure should never be that high. unless you're in dire -- you know, amidst of sexual activity or exercise. it is caused, again, because the belly fat that we have squeezes the kidneys. >> can you call it something else? make it sound a bit measure -- >> the pooch you have -- >> no. stick to belly fat. >> the belly button, so that fat, omentum. sounds like momentum but the fat inside the actual muscles of the belly pushes on the kidneys and

the kidneys regulate your blood pressure so when they're being squeezed by the fat, they say, give me more blood i can't breathe down here and your body jacks up the blood pressure to get it there. so the blood pressure at the high like a fire hydrant. squirting away the delicate teflon-like artery of the arteries and your blood pressure is scraping the lining of the arteries, you have to fix it. what do you use? cholesterol. you don't have enough of the good cholesterol. you have more of the bad cholesterol and put sh patches. >> like a perfect storm of hell going on. >> thankfully the sugar is okay. it's like broken pieces of shards of glass scraping but you can understand why if you have that percolating in the body, it is difficult to live life normally. >> come on. you've shaken me to the rafters. what do i need to do? none of this surprises me too much. what should i be doing to deal with this? >> number one thing for folks to do is automating the life so easy decisions are right ones and easier to make. so, for example, in the morning

when you first get up, you need a little routine. don't make decisions about the food until afternoon. your breakfast, eggs. which are just fine. even with cholesterol issues, still fine because protein helps you lose fight. so you want some protein within an hour of getting up. could be yogurt with berries. something that's got some protein and nutrients in there, sets you up for the rest of the day. and then a mid-morning snack, a handful of nuts. something you adore. if you don't like it, you won't stay on it and then lunch could be something that you can deal with, a salad, salmon, something you like, deal with it. don't think about it every day and then in the afternoon, start making decisions. try to figure out what you will do. second big tip to offer you is teas are great. you don't put a lot of cream in, fantastic with caffeine to stimulate your metabolism. >> i'm drinking a lot of coffee. is that bad for me? >> fine. number one source of anti-oxidants in america and most people have black coffee with a little cream added and more cream and then nondairy creamer and sugar and then soon it's just basically a chocolate

bar in the form of a coffee cup. >> what about chocolate bars? >> incorrigible. no. chocolate actually -- interestingly, 70% cocoa chocolate, which is not too sweet, is rich in flavonoids and just fine. if you love chocolate, eat it. that could be your snack. >> here's what i'm going to do. i'm going to tackle this head on. i'm feeling run down by this and you have made me feel worse. i'm going to get you back in -- how long would i need to try to really deal with? >> you could dramatically change these numbers in six weeks. >> i'll get you back in six weeks. these numbers are going to get better. >> all right. you're on. you saw it here. >> right. if i -- if i live long enough, we'll be back after the break to take some questions from my audience. ♪

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because of your anus, it's similar to the inside of the mouth. sort of delicate and fragile, you can bite it and hurt it and cut it by mistake. you sake a hard piece of poop and then, ready, push it down like this, and -- >> oh my god. oh my god. >> that's what happens. >> i'd really rather have high blood pressure. nothing too personal with dr. oz.

a question from my studio audience. not going to with that horror. horrible visible. let's turn first of all to judy. you have a question for the doctor. >> hi, dr. oz. >> hi, judy. >> i'm 53 and in the throws of menopause. so my question to you is, why does it seem that some women have it a lot easier and some women have such a difficult time? is it diet? is it exercise or is it just luck? >> it's a combination. but let me if i can explain to everyone what's going on. a third of women have severe symptoms of menopause and a third bothered by it. mostly sleep problems, emotional disruptions, hot all the time, and a third of people don't have any symptoms. part we believe is on the body's fat content. you don't have much but when the body has fat on it, it releases hormones and more estrogen and that's why it's particularly a problem of men and women.

for men losing their libido and converting testosterone, for women it causes breast cancer and ovarian cancer, things like that. second big issue is the emotional reality of our lives. now, menopause is not just estrogen but progesterone and like valium to women and why when you're pregnant you don't rebel against the thing growing inside of you and lets you deal with things you shouldn't have to deal with. you will tolerate transgressions that most people wouldn't have with high levels of progesterone. fourth decade of life, early 40s, the levels begin to come down and slights that didn't used to bother you begin to bother you and that's a bigger issue as you add estrogen to the mix. the combination leads to the symptoms. good news is if you shift from saturated fats in the diet to the healthier fats of, you know, vegetables, for example, the source of nuts and the like seems to help and black cohash is helpful.

for a lot of women who have menopause. worse comes worse, do not shy away from here moan replacement therapy. it is -- i don't think it's a danger for women as they're entering menopause for a short period of time. let's say three to five years. always take it with aspirin to reduce the chance of it causing clotting problems but that's where the average medical practitioner will agree to be using the drugs. >> okay. good advice from the doctor. a question about pain. >> hi, dr. oz. my question is in regards to pain. i have a preexisting shoulder injury, and i notice the older that i become the more frequent the pain is starting to appear. so my question to you is, is there a preventive measure to use to help alleviate the pain so that long term it won't turn in to arthritis? >> that's a great question. so many americans must suffer from pain in some capacity, long-term pain. what is the best way to try to deal with it? >> we tackled this on the show a lot. it's actually 116 million

americans with chronic pain issues and while a lot of us run the pills but pills are not the right solution because they paint over the crack in the foundation of your well-being. so let's talk about your shoulder in two ways. the reality is most of the joints which have of course two bones involved aren't supposed to let the bones touch. when the muscles are weak around the joints, the bones begin to touch and true for knee pain because when you have knee pain, you hobble and your muscles atrophy and then they hit each other. same for your shoulder. if the muscles are strong, they suck the joint apart and to prevent the bones from touching and causing discomfort. second issue is amount of inflammation in the body increasing sensitivity to pain and omega-3 is hugely important and reducing pain syndromes and over the counter products, magnets and electricity devices, fda approved, put them on the shoulder, knee, lower back, and

they are impactful and i would try them. not very expensive and much safer than taking pills. >> okay? good advice. let's turn to david. you have a question which is right up my attic, longevity. and how to get it, presumably. >> hello, dr. oz, mr. morgan. i'm 61 and come from a long line of short lived people and granted following all the rules and regulations you have painted before, i almost feel sometimes feel that genetics play a tremendous role and what's the balance between genetics and just good living? >> it turns out that about two thirds of how long you live is based on your lifestyle. only a third is genetics. and the most genetic of all illnesses is alzheimer's. so many other conditions, heart disease, for example, is much more dependent on the risk factors we talked about. with piers with his study. >> don't go on about it. >> please. turn and cough. but, you know, it does play a small role. a lot of folks get fixated on

the date their parents died and count it down until you get to that moment. very natural. the reality, though, is -- anybody right now can hear my voice who's in good health has a good chance of living to age 100 with the vitality they desire if they take proactive steps. >> that gives me perfect segue to you. mimi, you are unbelievably 101 years old. >> and and a half! >> and a half. >> when we come back, we'll talk to mimi. i want to know how she got to 101. she has the answers. how can you get back pain relief that lasts up to 16 hours? with thermacare heatwraps. thermacare works differently. it's the only wrap with patented heat cells that penetrate deep to relax, soothe, and unlock tight muscles. for up to 16 hours of relief... try thermacare.

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hey, it's me. your fat pants. look, we got to talk. this is my busy season and can't take the pressure. >> hey! what about me? sucking it in's a full-time job. >> elastic can break, you know? >> oh please! you have it so easy. he doesn't know. >> hey, stick with me and you can kiss them good-bye. all this january i'm getting you back in the skinny jeans. the doctor's in. fat is out. >> whoo! >> yeah! >> ow, ow. >> sorry. >> fat pants and skinny jeans. and much more. dr. oz is back with more questions from our studio audience. now, mimi, let me come to you because we discussed before, you're 101 years old.

what is the secret to long life do you think in terms of health? >> good diet. >> yep. >> exercise. if you can't do it standing up, get in bed and do it. >> really? >> do what in bed? >> exactly. >> good sex. >> yes. you have the whole recipe. >> i'm proud of you. >> mimi, let me ask you, have you ever smoked? >> never. i never sit in the sun. >> you never smoke, never been in the sun. you keep out of the sun? >> yes. >> do you drink alcohol? >> milk. >> milk. >> it counts. >> so here we are. keep out of the sun. no smoking. very little alcohol. just lots of milk and plenty of sex. what about that for a recipe or lifelong? >> it's obviously worked. i bet her blood pressure would be on the low side.

>> can we stay off blood pressure? >> looking at places where people live a long time, the story resonates. social structure around them, family with them here today ande with what's going on in your life and sexy activity. and sex does count. >> i'm 48 and since i've gotten to my late 40s i have sleep problems. i wake up every night at 3:00 or 4:00 in the morning. i can't get back to sleep. >> i have a 1-year-old daughter who wakes up at 3:00 in the morning. for people who have broken sleep, how important is sleep? how many hours should you get? and if you can't get enough, what do you do about it? >> the number one underappreciated health problem in america is sleep issues. it drives over eating, high

blood pressure. >> i can blame my 1-year-old daughter? >> assess, blame, condemn, that's what it comes down to. sleep issues, you mentioned you're awake in the middle of the night. anxiety can cause it, as we get older we need to go to the bathroom in the middle of the night. the mistake people make is turning on lights. get one of those night lights or use your cell phone on the way to your bathroom so you don't trip over stuff. it will allow you to go back to sleep in an effortless fashion. >> what about technology here, we're in an era now of blackberries and mobiles and computers and so on. how does that affect people's sleep. i have a feeling it affects mine, you're on these things all day long, until late at night. you can't help -- >> it disrupts sleep patterns. our ancestors would see the

sunset, because the sun rays are getting longer and longer, would turn on the sleep mechanism in our brain. when you're on a handheld device or watching the tv even, it keeps you up. that bright light won't let you stimulate the hormone, it won't let you go to sleep. same thing as if you wake up in the middle of the night. turn the lights down, in that half hour period, you will feel drowsy. one tip to the parents, it's a good time to tell your kids bedtime stories. the reason that happens, it's a great tool, the kids put their defenses down a little bit. as they begin to fall asleep, you can tell them tips they can use in their lives. it's a great parenting technique. >> i'm going to get my flu shot from this man.

back now with my special guest dr. oz. i've been taking my clothes off not just for mimi's benefit,

although she's rather enjoying it. i'm going to have my first ever flu shot. the myth about these is that you can get flu or flu like symptoms simply by having the shot, is that true? >> you cannot get the flu from the flu shot. it cannot give you the flu. it's based on the flu virus that occurred in southeast asia a few months ago. >> please give me a muscle. that's it? >> it's the biggest muscle you've seen for a while. >> that's it, one, two, three. and we're all -- >> it's not even bleeding. no blood even. please. >> i'll give you a bandage so you don't cry. >> it's like a dull ache,

really, it doesn't hurt. >> it's about the size of a mosquito bite. >> should children have them? >> it's recommended after the age of six months we give it to our kids and frankly it's much more valuable in the really young and old. it's particularly the older folks that get the flu and can have heart attacks related to it. this is one of those events that i think can be beneficial with low side effects. we have 130 million viles out there with to help people. take advantage of it. let's talk about ellis island. >> it's iconic for our nation, it's a place where we got a second start. i think a lot of americans think their best years are behind them, they're not sure if the future is as bright as it was when they were kids. i think that's not the case. we have a wonderful series of reasons to be